You assignment is to read Chapters 2 and 3 and then respond here, and we talked a little bit about Chapter 1 already. In a comment to this post, please respond to one of the following options. In your answer, please be specific by referring to page numbers and providing quotations:

Option 1 - Consider the historical context of this book. What can you see of your understanding of this time in the novel so far? Social movements? Radical politics? Post-WWI America? Think about what goes beyond a superficial reading of what people wore or listened to, but you can include those details as well.

Option 2 - What ideas about the American Dream, reinvention of the self, and social class do you see emerging here? You might not be done with the novel, but you can get a good idea of at least some of the ideas Fitzgerald is dealing with here. Write a little bit about themes, making sure to incorporate how symbolism, characterization, and plot contribute to your ideas.

I am most familiar with the book in the context of the time period of the Lost Generation and the Booming 20s. It was a time when the feminist movements finally obtained voting rights and when the rich could flaunt their wealth. I can see the presence of ideas about wealth in Gatsby, who inherited a large sum of money from family. What is absent, however, is the power of the feminist movement during this time period. Perhaps Fitzgerald wanted to emphasize a disintegration of morals through the relationships of Tom (he is a cheater, he doesn't have qualms, and Mrs. Wilson doesn't really seem to mind). Tom, on page 26, states, "Wilson? he thinks she goes to see her sister in new York. He's so dumb he doesn't know he's alive." Page 35 contains quotes on Mrs. Wilson. The fact that both of these characters are important for the novel (so far) signifies how the immorality of the situation is important part of the time period itself.

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Avery Welbourn

6/12/2016 04:54:41 pm

The Great Gatsby takes place in the Roaring 20s, a time period in American history that defined self determination, rebelling against the previous generation's ideals, and the American dream was extremely prominent. This was a time of great wealth for the country, and people fought the idea that the only way to become wealthy and successful was to be born into wealth. Businesses backed by hard working individuals starting from nothing and seizing opportunity became the belief of many. Culture was also thriving due to the introduction of jazz music which was seen as being strictly American made and spontaneous and new, flapper culture with fashion with dresses getting shorter and appearing androgynous and haircuts appearing more androgynous as well were societal norms. The country was escaping the weight of world war one with happiness. However, morals changed drastically, which would lead to monopolies, corruption, and a disregard for labor unions. Gatsby's self acclaimed wealth which is made clear in the very beginning of the book is a prominent theme that is consistent throughout chapters 2 and 3.

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Bhavik Nagda

6/12/2016 09:56:47 pm

As Gatsby flaunts his wealth and class distinctions begin to emerge in chapter 3, the American dream of new money candidates resonates in comparison to the leech-like parasitic behavior of some partygoers. On page 42, the narrator describes attendees as “Englishmen well dressed, all looking a little hungry... selling something.” He claims “they were at least agonizingly aware of the easy money in the vicinity and convinced that it was theirs.” The idea of “easy money” contradicts the prevailing notion of hard-earned American dollars, and the narrator indeed refers to them as “Englishmen” not Americans. Nevertheless, Gatsby’s social class- his immense wealth that is- doesn’t seem to equate to happiness or popularity. The description following the Jazz History of the World suggests that Gatsby was lonely: “no one swooned backward on Gatsby, and no French bob touched Gatsby’s shoulder, and no singing quartets were formed with Gatsby’s head for one link.” Gatsby is seemingly a lonely yet hardworking man experiencing the American Dream, who spends his wealth on popular but exploiting individuals.

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Jaehun Lee

6/12/2016 10:15:35 pm

I know the Great Gatsby takes place during the Roaring 20s, the zenith of income inequality in the United States. During this time the top 1% Americans held 40% of American wealth. It was also a time when the super rich were living in the same area as the super poor, making the income inequality even more visible. This is evident in the Great Gatsby, with the rich neighborhoods of East Egg and West Egg and the poor neighborhood of the Valley of Ashes. The Roaring 20s also saw the popularization of jazz and the conflict between old culture and new culture. This relationships also shown in The Great Gatsby, with the East Egg neighborhood being "fashionable" (in the eyes of old culture) and the West Egg neighborhood being "new cultured" as evidenced by the jazz music playing at Gatsby's parties in West Egg. In this sense, The Great Gatsby places readers in an accurate setting of the Roaring 20s. By showing disfunctionality at the parties, The Great Gatsby is also pointing out increasing decline of American society due to Prohibition. Later in the book, these problems become more and more apparent but in Chapters 2 and 3 they are portrayed very subtly.

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Isaac Ehrlich

6/13/2016 10:29:38 am

The Roaring 20s was a time of great economic prosperity, but like Jaehun said, there was also a lot of inequality. People strove to become more rich and to move up in class. People were creating "New Wealth" such as Nick, and tried to distinguish themselves from the "Old Wealth." Having money was no longer the only pre-requisite, it had to be the right kind of money. People trying to move up in class is also evident through Daisy. Based on what we know, it doesn't seem that Daisy is particularly interested in Tom, nor does she mind that he is having an affair. I think it's fair to assume that Daisy married Tom for his money and status, which represents the importance of those two things in the book, as well as at the time.

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Ayush Upneja

6/13/2016 12:06:12 pm

This book takes place during the Roaring 20s. This is really indicative in the book because there is a lot of class struggle and distinctions. These distinctions were sometimes silly in my opinion, because people cared about where you got money from, whether it was "old wealth" or "new wealth". Luckily, this distinction led to the American dream being kept alive during these prosperous times, as the hard working American could and did actually make it big. Whether it was through hard work in the service sector, or hours and hours in the business sector, the average American could make their dream come true.